Tesla is arguably one of the most dynamic companies in the industry today, DTPMP
with its tendency to constantly innovate even after it reaches its
ambitious targets. This particular culture was mentioned by Tesla’s
President of Automotive Jerome Guillen in a recent interview with CNBC,
when he stated that Tesla’s work, specifically in its batteries,
continue to evolve over time. Elon Musk echoed this tendency on Twitter,
stating that even Tesla’s vehicles like the Model S and X are partially
upgraded every month “as soon as a new subsystem is ready for
production.”

Such a culture is emblematic of Tesla. Such a
culture is also reflected in a recently published patent for the
company, which outlines a clever waste water treatment system that could
pave the way for more cost savings in operational expenses. The patent
is titled System for Regenerating Sodium Hydroxide and Sulfuric Acid
from Waste Water Stream Containing Sodium and Sulfate Ions and was
published on November 15.

Tesla notes in its patent description
that “acid leaching performed through the addition of sulfuric acid and
neutralization through the addition of sodium hydroxide” are common
processes used in manufacturing. As a result of these processes, waste
water containing high concentrations of sodium and sulfate ions
produced, since sodium and sulfate ions are very soluble and are
difficult to remove through conventional precipitation processes. Tesla
notes that these factors could result in large quantities of waste water
being disposed — a process that is both expensive and harmful for the
environment.

In a conventional waste water treatment setup, three
chambers separated by an anion exchange membrane (AEM) and a cation
exchange membrane (CEM), as well as anodes and cathodes, are utilized.
Tesla notes that the present system for waste water treatment leaves
much to be desired, considering that the setup is not cost-effective at
all.